Pronouncing Hawaiian Words - Cheat sheet?

[RachieLnnn]

Dear all,

 

I have been told the "rules" for pronouncing Hawaiian words, but I still don't think I've got it. I know you are supposed to pronounce everything, but it seems like some vowels are pronounced differently as they are in English. :) :confused: (e.g. the letter "i" is pronounced "eee" as in Ha-wai-eee"

 

I want to make sure I pronounce things properly while in Hawaii... If someone could give me any tips or even spell out phonetically the following words, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

 

(I'm a little embarassed because I feel these are a piece of cake, but I still haven't "gotten" it). Also, feel free to add on other tricky words, too!

 

Thanks in advance,

Rachel

 

List:

Kauai

Lahaina

Ka'anapali

Na Pali

Kahului

Haleakala

Iao

Makawao

Paia

Humuhumunukunukuapua - Just kidding!!! (well, not really, it would be interested to know! LOL!)

[shipgirl56]

humuhumunukunukuapaa

humu - humu - nuku - nuku - a - pa - a

who moo - who moo - new coo - new coo - ah - paw - ah

 

Here is a website

 

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/6794/o-pronunciation.html

[RachieLnnn]

Thanks for the website... there is a lot of information on there!

 

I know it might be a lot to ask, but if someone has the time, could you please pretty please spell out the list of words in post #1 as shipgirl did for humuhumunukunukuapaa? I loved that! Thanks!!! :D

 

I have seen websites like that before, and I still just don't "get it". :o I'm afraid I'm phonetically challenged. :( Throw those symbols into the mix and I really don't know what I'm doing! :)

 

I also thought it would be a good resource for future cruisers to have all the words spelled out phonetically in one thread.

 

In advance, I really just want to say that I SO appreciate any help in this. Since the words I listed before keep popping up I thought it would be a good start.

 

Thanks again!

[jwmcq]

List:

Kauai -

Lahaina - La HIGH na

Ka'anapali

Na Pali

Kahului - Ka hu LOO ee

Haleakala

Iao

Makawao

Paia

Kihei - KEE hay

Ma 'alaea - ma a LIE ya

Haleiwa - Hale EE va

Ewa - Ev a (not sure which is emphasized)

 

 

I've been wanting to know this also. Here are the couple that (I think) I've heard pronounced correctly. :o Please correct me if I am wrong. Please capatalize the emphatic syllable.

[HiloSunshine]

Dear all,

 

I have been told the "rules" for pronouncing Hawaiian words, but I still don't think I've got it. I know you are supposed to pronounce everything, but it seems like some vowels are pronounced differently as they are in English. :) :confused: (e.g. the letter "i" is pronounced "eee" as in Ha-wai-eee"

 

I want to make sure I pronounce things properly while in Hawaii... If someone could give me any tips or even spell out phonetically the following words, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

 

(I'm a little embarassed because I feel these are a piece of cake, but I still haven't "gotten" it). Also, feel free to add on other tricky words, too!

 

Thanks in advance,

Rachel

 

List:

Kauai

Lahaina

Ka'anapali

Na Pali

Kahului

Haleakala

Iao

Makawao

Paia

Humuhumunukunukuapua - Just kidding!!! (well, not really, it would be interested to know! LOL!)

 

Most of the words can be found here:

http://pages.prodigy.net/plantsman/plang.htm

 

Heres a link to local pidgin english:

http://www.extreme-hawaii.com/pidgin/vocab/

 

And heres one with words you will commonly hear while in Hawaii

http://www.visitmaui.com/agents/pronounce.html

[CC Help Michell]

Another thread with some good links is -- http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=633528&highlight=words

 

As close as I can come on your list (and I worked hard on most of these for our trip, with help from a friend of ours who was born and raised near Haleiwa (HAH lei ee vah):

 

Kaua'i -- Cow wah ee

Lahaina -- La HIGH nah

Ka'anapali -- KAH ah nah pah lee

Na Pali -- NAH pah lee

Kahului -- Kah hoo lwee (kind of smushed on the last syllable)

Haleakala -- Hah lei ah kah LA (yes, the emphasis is on the last syllable, not the first)

Iao -- Eye ow

Makawao -- MAH kah wow

Paia -- PAH ee ya

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a -- hoo moo hoo moo noo koo noo koo AH poo ah ah (yes, both a's at the end of the word are spoken -- that's what the 'okina (apostrophe to us) does in the a'a part, which I added because it is part of the word)

 

and one I added -- Hawai'i -- Hah WHY ee OR Hah VIE ee

 

I found another great site for some of these, because I'd been curious too -- http://www.geocities.com/~olelo/o-places.html -- it's even divided by place names on the different islands.

[RachieLnnn]

Thank you, thank you thank you!!! :D

[beachchick]

Here's a simple thing that might help. Vowels each have only one pronounciation (with their approximate "English" equivalents):

 

A = ah (as in walk)

E = long a (as in way)

I = long e (as in me)

O = long o (as in no)

U = oo (as in, well, moo)

 

That helped me when I was getting started. I'm trying to learn to make my pidgin more "natural," as it were.

 

beachchick

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Here's a simple thing that might help. Vowels each have only one pronounciation (with their approximate "English" equivalents):

 

A = ah (as in walk)

E = long a (as in way)

I = long e (as in me)

O = long o (as in no)

U = oo (as in, well, moo)

 

That helped me when I was getting started. I'm trying to learn to make my pidgin more "natural," as it were.

 

beachchick

This is what helped me the most. My DH was surprised that I could sort of talk Hawaiian. If you follow this vowel guide, you will find that you can pronounce most words at least close to what it is supposed to be. I read this is in the revealed books.

[RachieLnnn]

Thanks Beachchick! Now I've finally "gotten" the hawaiian pronunciation thing - I think!